new music: air waves

TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2009 |

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There are worse things in the world than a nod from electronic guru Dan Deacon as his favorite band of the moment. No wonder these Air Waves people are whistling in our ears.

While we respect Deacon's opinion, we had to check Air Waves out for ourselves. Nicole Schneit, Brooklyn resident, is the front lady/guitarist along with band mates Carlos Clark and Daoud Tyler-Ameen. Schneit's voice is relaxed and organic sounding, with a kind of folk-ish charm. Simple guitar and drums provide backup and give the whole thing a very twangy-pop tinge, with a Kimya Dawson type innocence and Pixie's type lyrical material. Also, Schneit is a big Robert Pollard fan, even admitting in an interview that the band was named for one of his songs.

Schneit seems to be a storyteller, spinning intricate stories with her lyrics. Her lo-fi aesthetic speaks to many of the bands emerging from the throngs of Brooklyn, but not many match the sincerity of her voice and the poinancy of her tunes. As Deacon said (roughly) in an interview with Pitchfork, they "feel like being wrapped in a favorite blanket."

Also upon further inspection, we've discovered that Schneit is adamant about Air Waves being two words, as in the elements, and not "Airwaves" as in the transmission of sound. Air and water, "like relationships and people. You can't avoid air and water."

Air Waves (Catbird Records), the five song EP, is available for purchase on the band's Myspace.